Car-fender.



"Patented lune l7, I902. w. B. ROHMER.

CAR FENDER.

(Application filed Nov. 30. 1901.'

2 Sheets- Shea! I.

(No Model.)

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attoznolg m: norms PETERS co morauwoq WASHINGTON. D. c.

Patented June 17, I902. W. B. BUHMEB.

CAB FENDER. (Application filed Nov. 30, 1901.

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attuned.

UNITED I STAT- s P TENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BELL ROHME R, BAY ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI.

. CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 762,484, dated June 17,1902.

Application filed NoveniberSQ, I901. Serial No. 84,262. (No model.)

To ozZZ whom, it may concern:

Be itknown thatLWILLIAM BELL ROHMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bay St. Louis, in the countyof Hancock and State ofMississippi, have invented a new and useful Oar-Fender, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

The present inventionrelates to car-fenders; and the object thereof isto provide a fender which, though normally raised suffi-' ciently to beout of contact with theroad, will. be automatically and instantlylowered by coming into contact with a person ,upon the track, therebyinsuring the picking up of such person and obviating any danger of hispassing beneath the fender, and consequently the wheels. I I

The particularly important feature ofthe invention relates to the meansfor tripping or releasing the catch member of the fender, said meansbeing so constructed and arranged that it will be quickly and easilyoperated by.

coming into contact with a person in dangerous proximity to the'car andwill immediately be moved out of the way as soon asit has performed itsproperfunctions.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred embodiment of the inventionis fully illustrated,gand the construction and opera-.

tion of said embodiment are described in the following specification.

It will of coursebe understood that such slight changes andmodifications may be made from the construction as the scope of theappended claims will permit. c

In the drawings, Figure 1 is. a perspective view of a fender constructedin accordance secured to the platform of the car in front ot thedashboard or it maybe so constructed as to be secured directly to saiddashboard. To this plate is hinged a downwardly-swinging catch member11, comprising outer frame-bars 12 anda suitable netting 13 secured tosaid bars. This catch member is urged downwardly by a pair offlatflmetal springs 14, secured to the fastening-plate and bearing uponthe side framebars 12. It is furthermore provided on its under side withsuitable-rollers 15, that arelocated ashort distance inrear of the frontedge of said catch member and rest upon 'thetracks when it is lowered.Under normal conditions the catch member is elevated a shortdistan ceabove the track or road, and for this purpose a support is provided asfollows: Boxings 1G'are securedto the ends of the fastening-plate lOnandare provided with upper and lower sets of rollers 17 and 18, theseboxings being preferably strengthened bybraces l9,'secured at theirupper ends to the dashboard of the car. Suitably mountedbetween theupper and lower sets of rollers are sections 20, the outer ends of whichare bifurcated, as 21.- A trip-section comprising side arms 22,connected by an actuatiing-ro'd 23, is pivoted to the slidable sections20,the rear ends of the side arms 22 being located in the bifurcatedportions of the sections and connected thereto by pivot-bolts 24:. Itwill be seen that the trip-section surroundsthe catch member and theactuatingbar 23 is movable toward and from the front end of the same.Rollers 25 are journaled on the opposing inner sides of the arms 22 andnormally engage beneath the side bars 12 of the catch member, said barsbeing provided with notches 26 to permit the placing and also therelease of said rollers from beneath the guide-bars. Springs 27 aresecured to each of the slidable sections 20 and bear upon the inner endsof the side bars 22, which project into the bifurcated portions of saidslid= ing sections.

WVhen the fender is in normal position, the catch member isheld a shortdistance above the track by the support, as above described,

the rollers 25 being locatedcbeneath the sidebars 12 of the catchmemberand just in front of the notches 26 in said bars. The actuating-bar 23will therefore be spaced a slight distance in front of the adjacent endof the catch member. Should the car approach close enough to a personstanding upon the track to bring the actuating-rod 23 into con tact withsaid person, it will be seen that the support will be moved rearwardlyuntil the rollers 25 aline with the notches 26, whereupon the springs27, bearing upon the inner ends of the side arms, will elevate thetripsection, and at the same time the springs let, acting upon thecatch-section, will depress the same so as to bring it down upon thetrack, and thereby in proper position to pick up the person actuatingthe trip. To reset the fender, it is only necessary for the motorman orconductor to lower the trip-section, pass the rollers through thenotches 26, and slide the support outwardly a short distance, therebybringing the several elements to their first-mentioned position.

By this construction an exceedingly simple fender is provided which issupported a sufficient distance above the track to be out of the way ofthe usual obstructions which might injure it, but is automaticallydropped when brought into contact with a person in close proximity tothe front of the car. The trip is extremely delicate in operationbecause of its frictionless supports and its roller engagement with thecatch member.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-fender, the combination with a downwardly-movable catchmember, of a support for normally holding the catch member in elevatedposition, said support comprising aslidably-mounted section, and atrip-section hinged to the slidably-mounted section and having adetachable engagement with the catch member to normally support thesame. 2. In a car-fender, the combination with a downwardly-movablecatch member, of a support for normally holding the catch member inelevated position, said support comprising a slidably-mounted section, atrip-section hinged to the slidably-mounted section and having adetachable engagement with the catch member to normally support thesame, and a spring carried by one section and engaging the other toautomatically elevate the trip-section when it is detached from thecatch member.

- 3. In a car-fender, the combination with a downwardlymovable catchmember, of a support for normally holding the catch member in elevatedposition, said support comprising a slidablynnounted section, atrip-section.

hinged intermediate its ends to the slidablymounted section and having adetachable engagement with the catch member to normally support thesame, and a spring carried by the slidably-mounted section and engagingthe inner end of the trip-section to automatically elevate the latterwhen it is detached from the catch member.

4. In a car-fender, the combination with a downwardly-movable catchmember, of a support for normally holding the catch member in elevatedposition, said support comprising a boxing provided with spaced sets ofrollers, a section slidably mounted at its inner end between the sets ofrollers and having its outer end bifurcated, a trip-section hingedintermediate its ends in the bifurcated end of the slidable section andhaving a detachable engagement with the catch member to normally supportthe same, and a spring carried by the slidable member and bearing uponthe inner end of the trip-section to elevate the same when it isdetached from the catch member.

5. In a car-fender, the combination with a fastening-plate arranged tobe secured to the front portion of a car, of a downwardly-movable catchmember hinged to the plate, a spring carried by the plate and bearingupon the catch member to move the latter downwardly, and an upwardlyswinging rearwardly-movable support having a portion extending in frontof the catch member, said support havinga detachable engagement with thecatch member.

6. In a car-fender, the combination with a fastening-plate arranged tobe secured to the front portion of a car, of a downwardly-mov able catchmember hinged to the plate, a spring carried by the plate and bearingupon the catch member to move the latter downwardly, and an upwardlyswinging rearwardly-movable support comprising boxings IIC mounted uponthe ends of the fasteningplates, sections slidably mounted in theboxings, a trip-section extending around in front of the catch memberand hinged to the slidable section, said trip-section carrying rollersthat detachably engage the catch member, and springs mounted upon theslidable sections and bearing against the trip-section to elevate thelatter when detached from the catch member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM BELL ROHMER.

lVitnesses:

H. M. GRAHAM, ALBERT J. CARVER.

